Homeland Security 101
By Gary Aldrich (09/28/03)
By the end of this week, more than 120 women from Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, and Tennessee will have completed a simple and unique firearms safety training course which enables each to legally carry a concealed handgun for self-protection.
For as long as anyone can remember, interest in guns has been pretty much a man’s “thing.” But all that is changing, if interest in the Patriettes program is any indication. Women from all walks of life, from all political persuasions and of all ages are Patriette graduates, and without exception they express positive emotions ranging from excitement to joy to relief, when they learn how easy it is to protect themselves.
Safe gun use by women is maintained a closely guarded secret. Some want to discourage or withhold gun rights from women, because they prefer women to remain vulnerable to would-be attackers. As perpetual victims, women need somebody or some organization to protect them. In other words, they’re dependent. But if women are empowered by the knowledge of self-protection, they are no longer viewed as easy targets, and represent an independent force that gun control advocates just cannot and will not tolerate.
Housewives, working moms, stay at home moms, students, grandmothers, interns, heads of large organizations, Capitol Hill and White House staffers and public relations professionals have attended and easily passed the class. Each graduates leaves with targets of their new-found proficiency as evidence, along with a certificate from the National Rifle Association. The certificate enables Patriette grads to immediately apply for a concealed carry permit from the state of Virginia, and any other state that recognizes this comprehensive yet simple program.
Three organizations have joined hands to offer and support Patriettes. First, The Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty located in Fairfax, Virginia organizes and hosts the program. Joining the Center is the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, dedicated to the protection and promotion of Law Enforcement Officers, as well as the Second Amendment. Finally, The Second Amendment Sisters, who became famous as the counter to the Million Mom March some years ago, lends support and encouragement to the program.
The Patrick Henry Center has purchased nine millimeter, semi-automatic handguns for training, so the women are not intimidated by the mysteries and high costs of purchasing their own gun prior to class. All they have to do is buy the ammunition – the Center and the NRA certified trainers do the rest.
A unique aspect of the program is that no men are allowed. It is specially designed training geared to the kinds of issues and special concerns that women naturally have about the use of guns. For example, most women express fear of having a firearm in their home, especially if they have children and are worried about easy access. Their fears are put to rest when they are made aware of the many firearms security devices now on the market.
The ladies also learn about a specially-built gun safe that fits in their car, and another that bolts to their bed-frames. The safes are made of high, tinsel-strength steel, and have unique locking devices that can only be activated by the owner. This ensures that kids can’t get their hands on the guns, and also prevents easy theft, but gives the user quick access in the event of a threat.
The training is accomplished in less than eight hours, including time for a hot meal supplied by The Patrick Henry Center. Having spent time together in the classroom learning a new skill, these ladies become part of a rather exclusive club. They bond as they review what they have learned while enjoying all-American Bar-B-Q supplied by a popular nearby restaurant.
Little do they know, the best is yet to come. Patriettes also receive one-on-one assistance on the firing line from an NRA instructor. As they plug the silhouette targets with neat, round holes, these newly empowered women suddenly realize that they always possessed a Constitutional right which could have put many of their fears of being a victim to rest. Some even become angry when they discover they have needlessly lived in fear for many years because unfounded intimidation of guns and somebody’s political cause has discouraged them from ever considering self-protection.
The firearms instructors tell them that women are more accurate in their shooting then men, and actually make better students in the classroom. Said one NRA certified instructor, “Most men come to our classes convinced they know everything there is to know about guns. This makes them harder to train. Men resist un-learning their preconceived notions – including erroneous notions about gun safety. But the women listen carefully and learn the correct safety rules. That’s very important.”
And that’s what makes the Patriettes program unique. Women learn about gun safety while they are taught how to protect themselves from becoming just another victim of crime. But they learn in an atmosphere free from the natural intimidation they would feel if guys were present. Everyone assumes most guys are likely to snicker at the notion that the “pretty little thing” sitting next to them is “packing heat.”
And yet, ironically, women benefit most from the concealed carry permit laws now enacted in 36 states; Missouri being the latest to join this overdue movement. Men have the presence and upper body strength which usually makes them less attractive as victims. And sexual predators are looking to humiliate and injure women, rob them of their dignity and possessions, and perhaps their life.
Women know a call to 911 will be little help if and when they fall victim to a sexual predator. But a locked and loaded 9 millimeter handgun will certainly get the creep’s attention, and in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, it’s highly likely he’ll back off instantly. If not - some would opine - maybe this human garbage will finally get what’s coming to him.
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